Z A Christmas Catastrophe Complete
by Fanatical Writer
Summary: When Hotch decides he wants his romance with Emily to go public, she insists that she's just not ready. But what she didn't count on was fate showing up to give her a little nudge...
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Note: This story is a twoshot (possibly a threeshot) and was written in response to Bonus Challenge #8 - Author's First Christmas...I chose the prompt: Geronimo Stilton - A Christmas Catastrophe. Enjoy!_

_FYI—I have a poll up on my profile asking which 'clichéd' storyline you'd like to read and with which couple. If the storyline/couple you'd like to see doesn't appear there, please feel free to PM me with what you'd be interested in seeing! Some that have been mentioned to me outside of the poll are lacunar amnesia (for Derek w/ a Morgan/Garcia pairing) and a drunken Vegas wedding for Garcia/Morgan. I'm interested in knowing what you'd like to read! Thanks. – Angie_

Emily Prentiss reached for her cell phone on the nightstand…all the while cursing her alarm for daring to go off so early in the morning. She yawned before her eyes even opened, then sighed. It really _was_ five-thirty a.m. She started to move to the edge of the mattress, but before she could make it, an arm draped around her waist and pulled her back until she was snug against a solid chest. She shivered from the hot kiss that was placed on her neck.

"Good morning," Aaron said in a gravelly voice.

"Good morning," Emily returned in a much softer tone.

"Trying to sneak out?" he asked.

She laughed throatily. "If I was trying to sneak out, I wouldn't have set my alarm," she informed him.

"Smart girl," he said appreciatively. "You're always thinking, Emily. Always thinking." He pulled her gently onto her back so he could lean down and give her a good morning greeting. His hand clasped her waist as his lips came down to hers in a gentle kiss.

He was soft and gentle most of the time…but the times he wasn't…those were the times Emily liked most. She lifted her arms around his neck and ran her tongue along his lower lip. His mouth opened, his tongue hot and moist as it surged forward in search of hers. One of her hands came to the back of his head in a vice grip, holding him in place as his tongue assaulted hers, dominating and hard at once. Her body lifted off the bed to mold with his, but as soon as her breasts touched his chest, he pushed back, forcing her against the mattress. She moaned lightly and he pulled away, his eyes searching hers. She grinned at him. "If you hadn't kept me up so late, we could go another round," she teased.

"I don't want us to be a secret anymore," he told her.

She pushed him off her with a groan, then scooted to the side of the bed and stood. "We've discussed this," she reminded him.

"I wasn't done," he insisted.

"Well I _was_," she said firmly. "I'm the ambassador's daughter. I can't be the Unit Chief's girlfriend, too. I'd be such a cliché!" Emily hated herself for it, but she worried about what people thought. She knew that a lot of people had the perception that she'd gotten where she was because of her family name, but the truth was she'd worked _hard_ to get to where she was. And she didn't want to mess that up or give people any reason to doubt it. If she wanted to move up in the F.B.I. one day, and she did, then she wanted to do it on her own. Not on Aaron Hotchner's arm.

"Besides, if they find out about us, I'd almost certainly have to leave the B.A.U.," she pointed out.

"We'd both have to make a lot of changes," he conceded, trying to keep his eyes on her face. She was standing there in a pair of barely there night shorts and a tank top that hugged her breasts in the most delicious way.

"That's the thing. _You _wouldn't be the one making the changes. I would."

"Emily—"

"There's nothing you can say that's going to change my mind," she said firmly.

"Do you want me to step down as Unit Chief?" he asked softly.

Emily lifted her eyebrows. "Do you _want _to step down as Unit Chief?" she shot back.

"What I don't want is to make the same mistake twice," he admitted openly.

"What mistake is that?" she asked.

"Letting my career become my life. My career is just a _part_ of my life," he mused. He may have been coming to that revelation a little late, but he was grateful to finally be having it at all.

Emily sighed as she sat down onto the mattress and rested her hand on his lean, t-shirt clad chest. "You're an excellent Unit Chief," she told him. "It would be a shame for the team to lose you."

"It would be a shame for _me_…to lose _you_," he replied sincerely. He captured her wrist with his fingers and lifted her hand to his mouth, placing a soft kiss on her palm. "I'm not willing to keep us a secret anymore."

* * *

Their morning conversation flickered through Emily's head all day. It wasn't supposed to have been like this. She shouldn't have fallen for her Unit Chief, or anyone, really. She had ambitions, and she'd always thought that a family would get in the way of that. So she'd taken herself out of the dating game, which hadn't been that hard since she'd never dated much anyway.

And she'd never been sorry for that…until she'd been staying late one night a few months ago and was trying to make sense of a particularly heinous case. Hotch had been there…the _only_ one there…and it had all happened so classically. An accidental brush of their hands, a meeting of the eyes…she sighed at the thought. His eyes, those chocolate brown eyes that had always been so guarded were sincere that night.

To this day, she still didn't know what had come over her. She'd gotten up, walked around his desk, and sat down on his lap, lowering her lips to his for their first kiss. She'd half expected him to toss her off his knees, so when he'd lifted his arms and hauled her against him, she'd been stunned. Even more stunning was the fact that it hadn't been their last. It wasn't long before they'd started sleeping together...just a few days, really…and she'd never looked back. Until now.

Now he was pressuring her into going public, and she just didn't feel ready. And as long as they were in the same department, she didn't know if she _would_ be.

"Hey," she heard Penelope's cheerful voice beside her. "What's got you concentrating so hard?"

Emily lifted her head in surprise and looked around. "Where is everyone?" she asked instead of answering.

"Down in the conference room. The Holiday Party started half an hour ago," Penelope informed her friend.

"Oh. Why are _you_ still up here?" Emily asked.

Penelope grinned. "Because a Tech Kittens job is never done," she said. "Want to head down with me?"

"Sure," Emily replied as she stood.

Penelope grabbed the present off the corner of her friends desk and they headed for the elevator. "I am so glad I didn't draw Hotch's name," she said as she wrinkled her nose. "I would have had no idea what to get him."

Emily nodded. "He was hard to shop for," she agreed. For _work_, anyway. Her personal gift for him had been quite easy to pick out and she'd give it to him on Christmas Eve after Jack had gone to bed and she'd snuck into the house.

"What did you get him?" Penelope asked.

Prentiss smiled teasingly. "You'll have to find out when everyone else does," she informed her friend.

* * *

"What do you think it is?" Reid asked as Hotch picked up his present.

He shook it and shrugged. "I have no idea," he answered.

Something was wrong, Emily thought as her entire body went on alert. His box wasn't making any noise. There were loose tootsie rolls in there, along with a few other things, and they should have been making a little thumping sound. "Aaron—" she said urgently. Everyone stopped to look at her; she'd never used Hotch's first name before, so it was a bit of a surprise when it crossed her lips now.

"What?" he asked, not looking up as he opened the present in his hand. She rushed forward, but wasn't quick enough. Hotch pulled the contents of the box out and froze. He was holding a frame in his hand, but it was what was _in_ the frame that captured the attention of everyone around him. It was a dazzling 8 x 10 photograph of Emily, scantily clad in a red sheer Santa suit, lying across a divan in a rather naughty position.

Derek looked at Emily and lifted his eyebrows. "Hot damn," he said appreciatively.

And just like that…the cat was out of the bag.


	2. Chapter 2

_Author's Note: T__hank you so much to Muralice for reading this over for me and for giving me your input! Your suggestions have helped the flow of the story tremendously!_

_Also, thank you all so much for the reviews; I love reading them! This is the next to the last installment and I hope you enjoy it! - Angie_

Emily Prentiss had never been so humiliated in all of her life. How in the hell had this happened? She'd wrapped both of his presents at the same time, yes, but there had been about an inch difference in the width and length of the boxes underneath. This was mind-boggling.

It hadn't been just their unit in attendance; it had been almost everyone in the building. And while they hadn't all seen the photograph, she was sure word was spreading like wildfire that she was Hotch's plaything.

"I don't think I need to remind you about what the repercussions are if a relationship between supervisor and subordinate is discovered," Erin Strauss said sternly.

Emily snapped to attention. "We're not in a relationship," she said quickly. They'd been hauled into Strauss' office immediately. "We're…it's not serious," she muttered as she shifted uncomfortably.

"While I appreciate the information, Ms. Prentiss, I was speaking to your boss," she said pointedly as she looked at Hotch.

This was not a good position for them to be in; Strauss already had it out for them. Ironically enough, it had been Emily's loyalty to Hotch that had gotten her on the woman's bad side in the first place. And while Strauss had definitely been a bit easier on him since he'd lost Haley, she still scrutinized his every move.

Hotch met her gaze intently. "I take full responsibility for my actions," he stated in his no-nonsense tone.

"That's very commendable, Aaron," she said dryly.

Strauss studied the pair astutely, playing with a pen all the while. Hotch sat there, undeterred by her obvious attempt at making them uncomfortable, instead remaining steady and strong. Emily did her best to stare straight ahead, more concerned with keeping her attention away from _him_.

"That picture wasn't really for Agent Hotchner, was it?" she prompted.

Emily gave Strauss a confused look. "Excuse me?" she asked.

Strauss narrowed her eyes. "The picture, Agent Prentiss. Was it for Agent Hotchner?" she repeated. It was clear that she was giving Emily an out.

"No, ma'am," Emily replied quickly.

"This was just an unfortunate mix-up," Strauss concluded.

Emily nodded in agreement, but Hotch stiffened. "No one is going to believe that," he informed them.

"If Emily tells everyone that it wasn't for you, then people will have no choice but to believe her. They can speculate as much as they'd like to, but no one will really know," Strauss insisted.

Hotch sat there, a steely look in his eyes as the muscles in his jaw began to tick.

"I'm going to share some information with the two of you that I trust you can keep to yourselves," Strauss continued.

"Yes, Ma'am," Emily agreed.

"There are going to be some changes in the Behavioral Analysis Unit after the New Year," she informed them. "As I'm sure you've noticed there is more than enough work for one team. So we've decided to expand the BAU to include two teams. We want to split the current team in two and bring in some fresh agents."

Emily waited for Hotch to say something, but he didn't.

"This makes it easier for me; obviously it would be in both your best interests to be separated. And once the team splits…you wouldn't be doing anything wrong if you were simply dating a coworker." She looked back and forth between them, a flash of warning in her eyes. "But make no mistake. Agent Hotchner…Agent Prentiss…I've got my eyes on you." She waited a moment before speaking again. "We're done here."

Emily preceded Hotch out of the office and flushed as she realized all eyes were on her. She came to an abrupt halt, causing Hotch to come to a stop behind her.

"My office. Now," he ground out, as he stepped around her and led the way with forced patience. His tone brooked no argument; she followed.

She'd just stepped through the doorway when he shut it behind her.

"Why didn't you say anything?" she asked immediately, her tone accusing. "They want to separate this team? We only work as well as we do because—"

He grabbed her by the elbow and pulled her to the side of his office that didn't have a window overlooking the bullpen, then spun her around so that her back was to the wall, trapping her there with his body. "Aside from the night we first kissed, I have _never_ brought our relationship to work," Hotch said in a low voice. His tone was almost…dangerous.

Emily could only nod wordlessly in response.

"Until now," he announced. "You'd rather she think you were a _slut_ than dating me!" he hissed angrily. Just this morning he'd been having visions of forever dancing in his head, and she'd probably been making her damn grocery list.

Emily didn't know what to say to that because he was right. She was willing to sacrifice her moral fiber for her pride. And she'd do it again if it meant saving the reputation of her career.

"Why did you give me the picture, Emily?" Hotch demanded.

"I didn't," she told him. "Remember? According to Strauss—"

His palm slammed against the wall behind her causing the picture hanging in the center to wobble. "Why. Did you give. Me the picture?" he repeated angrily.

She looked up at him, blinking nervously. She'd never seen him like this. "I wanted you to think I was sexy," she whispered.

"I already know you're sexy," he shot back. "Why? Emily? Why did you give me the picture?" he pressed.

"I don't know," she said weakly.

"I do," he said, his tone changing to a softer one. "You gave me the picture because it was the most impersonal thing you could think of to give me."

"That's not true!" she argued. "That was a _very_ personal gift!"

Hotch shook his head. "No, Em. It wasn't. I've _had_ your body." He lowered his lips to hers in a tender kiss, and then he lifted his hand so that it rested on the area just over her heart. "But _this_ is what I want."

* * *

He was right, Emily thought as she popped her frozen Lean Cuisine dinner into the microwave later that night and hit the start button. She'd given him her body dozens of times over, but she'd never really let him in. She'd never let _anyone_ in. She'd spent her whole life running…first from her mother and then from herself…was she really going to fall into the same pattern now and run from _him_?


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's Note: Shocker, I know...but this had turned into a fourshot! Thanks so much for the reviews for last chapter! I hope you like this one! - Angie_

Emily Prentiss didn't typically watch sappy Christmas movies, but since she'd arrived at her mother's last night, it was _all_ she'd done. She had to admit, Lifetime Television for women knew Christmas. And every single movie she watched contained one aspect of her own life…the lonely single woman.

She didn't know if it was the season, but she couldn't seem to rid that unfamiliar feeling of loneliness.

She'd always been alone. She'd lived with her parents until she'd left for college, but they'd rarely been home. And then when she _had_ gone away to school, it was more of the same. She'd shared a two bedroom apartment with three other girls. None of them shared the same major, and they'd all had at least one job so they never saw each other. Luckily, they'd all been as into their studies as she was, so they'd been great roommates. But it had never quite reached a level of friendship. She supposed she'd been conditioned to keep people at arms length from birth.

But with Aaron…he hadn't kept her at arms length; he'd tried to break through the walls she'd built around herself. But she hadn't let him in. He'd let her in, though. He'd tried to pretend that he didn't notice the breach between them, but the fact was it _did_ exist. But when she was with him…he made her feel whole. He made her feel warm inside.

Yesterday, though, in Strauss's office, the very second she'd declared their relationship nonexistent, she'd felt the warmth leave her body; it had just slipped away. When Hotch had cornered her in his office after their meeting, she'd felt it again…even through his anger. But as soon as he'd stepped away, the cold had saturated her body, and it had been getting progressively worse since she'd left.

Tears pricked at Emily's eyes. She tried to tell herself that it was because the children in the movie she was watching had finally found their puppy, but she knew she was lying to herself. She grabbed the blanket from the back of the couch and covered herself up, then pulled it up to her chin. But it didn't help. She was still cold.

* * *

After he'd left for work yesterday morning, Haley's sister, Jessica, had taken Jack and headed to her parents house so they could celebrate an early Christmas with him. He'd been invited as well, but he'd turned down their invitation.

His plan had been to spend some time with Emily trying to talk her into spending Christmas with him and Jack. She was nervous about his son finding out about them, and he wanted to coax her out of that. Jack was going to love her, and he was sure the feeling would be mutual. He'd seen Emily's soft spot for children many times when they were in the field.

With the house empty, he wouldn't have to cover her mouth with his hand while she was writhing beneath him; he'd been looking forward to finally hearing her scream his name. Ever since they'd slept together that first time, she'd spent every night they weren't on the road in his bed. He supposed that was why he'd had such a hard time sleeping last night…he'd grown accustomed to having her next to him.

She'd taught him the fine art of texting for when they _were_ on the road. It was something he'd never been interested in, but had quickly changed his mind when he'd received his first message from her. They'd been having supper with the rest of the team after a grueling case in Los Angeles when he'd heard a beep. She'd been sitting across the table from him, and he'd never even seen her take her phone out. He'd flipped his RAZR open and forced his expression to remain neutral as he'd read the words on the screen:

_My panties are wet. _

After clearing his throat, he'd lifted his eyes to hers, and she'd been sitting across the table from him with a sultry grin on her face, her chin resting on her hand in a pose that he didn't know could be so sexy. Luckily the rest of the team had been focused on Reid and one of his new magic tricks so they hadn't seen him loosen his tie. It had been a long rest of the evening.

"That'll be $68.25, please," the cashier said, pulling Hotch out of his trance. He quickly pulled some bills out of his wallet and paid the man. And after a thank you, he was on his way.

Back to his empty house—no Jack…and no Emily.

* * *

It hadn't taken too many Lifetime movies to figure out that she was scared. And so in true Emily style, she'd run the first chance she got.

After one last coat of mascara, Emily took a quick look at her reflection and then reached for the simple pearl earrings on her dresser. They completed her ensemble for the night: a pair of gray silk dress pants topped with a bright blue cowl-neck sweater that hung just below her thighs. The ruching on the sides emphasized her already svelte figure; her hair was swept up in an elegant style to accentuate her cheekbones. She would have liked to have worn something red or maybe even green, but her mother had insisted she wear something practical. Giving in to the silliness of the season was beneath Prentiss women.

She made her way down the stairs fashionably late—again at her mothers resolve—and to the doorway of the large living room, stopping to study the cluster of guests. At just seven o'clock, the party was already in full swing. She recognized a lot of the couples in attendance, but none of them were standing together.

She couldn't help but wonder what they were doing here. Why weren't they home with their children on Christmas Eve? It was a thought that had never occurred to her before, but it struck her now and wouldn't leave. If she had her choice, she'd be with her loved ones this evening.

And it was then that it dawned on her…she _did _have a choice…and she was in the wrong place.

* * *

Aaron Hotchner winced as he passed the Christmas tree on his way to the kitchen. It was the most poorly decorated tree he'd ever laid eyes on; though they'd tried, he and Jack just hadn't been able to get it right. There were several branches in the front that were missing the twinkling lights, and the ornaments were placed all wrong. It was clear that the tree needed a woman's touch, but he couldn't help that.

Hotch had picked Jack up from his grandparents at eleven o'clock this morning, and then they'd spent the afternoon decorating their tree. After supper, they'd watched a few of Jack's favorite Christmas shows, and then he'd fallen asleep on the couch. Hotch had just put him to bed; now was the time for clean-up and any last minute wrapping that needed to be done. He had to play Santa soon. He started loading the dishwater and was almost finished when the doorbell rang. With a quick glance at the clock on the stove, he saw that it was eight-thirty. He could only think of one person who'd stop by this late…

He strode into the living room and didn't bother with the curtain; he pulled the door open.

"I miss you." The words tumbled out of Emily's mouth in a whisper.


	4. Chapter 4

_Authors Note: Well, all. This concludes my foray into Hotch/Prentiss-ville. I hope you've enjoyed __A Christmas Catastrophe__! It's back to Garcia/Morgan-land for me…familiar territory. LOL Thanks for reading and Happy Holidays!_

_FYI—I have a poll up on my profile asking which 'clichéd' storyline you'd like to read and with which couple. If the storyline/couple you'd like to see doesn't appear there, please feel free to PM me with what you'd be interested in seeing! Some that have been mentioned to me outside of the poll are lacunar amnesia (for Derek w/ a Morgan/Garcia pairing) and a drunken Vegas wedding for Garcia/Morgan. I'm interested in knowing what you'd like to read! Thanks. – Angie_

"Would you like to come in?" Hotch asked softly. He was standing just inside the doorway in a pair of worn blue jeans, a red cable knit sweater, and white socks. He looked so handsome in his laid-back outfit.

She tried to think of something to say but couldn't, so she nodded instead. He stepped back; it was a small step, and her body had to brush against his in order to get inside. When she started to pull her coat down over her shoulders, he stepped forward to give her a hand and then hung it up in the closet.

Her mind was racing as she followed him into the living room. He still hadn't acknowledged her statement, and she wasn't sure if that meant that he was angry or if he was just waiting for her to continue. "Your tree looks nice," she said weakly.

"You're a horrible liar, Emily," he said with a twinkle in his eyes as he sat down on the couch.

It was then that she noticed the mugs that were sitting on the coffee table: _one, two…three. _Hotch, Jack, and…? Her eyes flew to Hotch's. "I—maybe I should have called," she said in a rush. "Are you…are you expecting someone?"

"Yes," he said solemnly.

In the half a second before his next sentence, Emily's heart skipped a beat.

"Jack and I are expecting Santa," he informed her. "We always leave hot chocolate out for him, and I just hadn't had a chance to take care of ours yet."

"Oh," she said, a relieved sigh mingling with a nervous laugh.

He leaned forward and seized her hand. "Have a seat, Emily," he coaxed.

She tried to sit on the other end of the couch, but he gave her hand a solid tug so that she had no choice but to sit down on the cushion next to him. "I—"

"Daddy?"

They both turned to look as Jack stumbled into the living room half asleep.

"Hey, Buddy," Hotch said as he stood. "You OK?"

Jack nodded. "Just thirsty," he answered. "Hi, Ms. Prentiss," he said, brightening when he noticed Emily.

"Hi, Jack. You can call me Emily if you want to," she told him.

"My dad says that would be rude," he informed her.

Emily smiled at the little boy. "I'll work on him," she promised.

"Are you spending the night?" he asked.

"I'm sorry?" Her eyes flew to Hotch's. Had he told their son about him?

"There's a present for you." Jack ran to the tree and picked up a brightly wrapped package with a large bow on it, then brought it over to her. "See?" He pointed to the tag. "It has your name on it. But you can't open it until tomorrow."

"Oh," Emily said softly, struck by his thoughtfulness.

Jack nodded enthusiastically. "Daddy said he invited you for Christmas, but he wasn't sure if you'd come or not. But we got you a present because a gentleman is _always_ prepared, right, Daddy?"

"Right, buddy," Hotch agreed, his heart swelling with love at the sight of his son. He picked the little boy up in his arms and gave him a gentle squeeze. "How about that drink?" he reminded him.

"Can I have chocolate milk?" Jack asked with a crooked grin.

"Of course you can," Aaron said as he headed for the kitchen.

* * *

"He's hoping to catch a glimpse of Santa," Hotch said with a grin as he settled down next to Emily once again.

"He's a sweet little boy," she told him.

"I'm lucky," Aaron agreed softly.

Neither one of them said anything for a moment, but she finally gathered the courage to speak.

"I didn't know I was lonely," she admitted.

He still didn't say anything, just studied her face…waiting.

"I…I've always been alone, and I've always been content," she continued. "Until _you_." She laughed nervously, then looked down as he laced their fingers together. "I…I know I've known you for a long time, but we've only been dating for two months, and…" She took a deep breath. "Already I feel like I can't live without you. That scares the _hell_ out of me. And when I'm scared…I tend to run. It…it's what I do…it's what I've _been_ doing my whole life. And then…I sat there in Strauss' office and denied that anything was going on with us…" Her voice trailed off as she choked back a sob.

"Essentially ridiculing our relationship," Hotch said softly.

She nodded as she lifted her eyes to his. "I'm so sorry," she whispered.

He didn't say anything, just smiled tenderly at her.

"Are you going to _say_ something?" she asked.

"What about your career?" he returned.

"It's always been the only thing I've had, so I—I've _clung_ to it." Her eyes softened as she they locked on his. "But I'm…I'm hoping it's not the only thing I have anymore."

He could have demanded more from her, but that wasn't his style. It was enough for him that she was here. One swift tug of her hand and suddenly she was on his lap; he was looking up at her as she straddled him. "It's not the only thing you have. You have _me_," he said huskily, as he lifted his hands and pulled her face down onto his. "You'll always have me," he said just before their lips met in a hot kiss, both of their tongues thrusting forth frantically. One of his hands came around to cup the back of her head, the other falling to her waist; he held tightly as if he thought she'd flee again.

Her hand rose to clench a fistful of his hair as she wiggled her hips trying to get closer to him, but he pulled away with a chuckle. "After what just happened, I don't think this a good idea." There was no guarantee that Jack wouldn't get up again. It was Christmas Eve, after all and his little boy was excited.

She sighed in resignation as she lowered her forehead to his chest. "You're right," she whispered apologetically.

He put a hand under her chin and lifted her head so their eyes met. "Let's take this into the bedroom," he said as he stood. He held onto her as she wrapped her legs around his waist, then strode purposefully towards his room and placed her on the mattress. After locking the door, he walked leisurely towards Emily, pulling his red sweater over his head on the way.

Her eyes met his, and then travelled down his muscled torso to the waistband of his jeans. She crawled up onto her knees and towards the end of the mattress, waiting patiently until he was standing in front of her. She ran her hands down his chest until she reached the waistband of his jeans and unbuttoned them. She slid the zipper down, and then watched as he pulled them off; the only remaining items of clothing were his socks and boxers.

She grinned, her lips lifting in a wicked smile. "Why, Agent Hotchner. Are you packing heat…or are you just happy to see me?" she teased in a husky voice.

"_So_ damn happy to see you, Emily Prentiss," he replied as he lowered his lips to hers for another searing kiss. His tongue took possession of her mouth, exploring every inch as she moaned in satisfaction. With a chuckle, he pulled away and reached for the hem of her shirt, then pulled it over her head. He tossed it to the floor, and then reached for the clasp on the front of her bra. The straps fell down her shoulders as her nipples hardened underneath his gaze. He lifted his hands until his fingertips were resting on the area just above her breasts, then moved them slowly downward passing over her taut peaks. To her discontent, they didn't stop…just kept moving down over her belly until they reached the waistband of her slacks and tugged softly. Clearly they were in his way.

She moved onto her back, then lifted her hips so she could pull them down over her thighs; he took hold of them and tugged them the rest of the way off her. He stroked her skin, moving his fingers along her inner thighs and up to her lower belly until he hooked his fingers under the lacey waistband of her thongs. She lifted her hips again, and he pulled them off her with a swift tug. His eyes never left her body as he stripped himself of his boxers and socks. He covered her body with his and lowered his lips to one of her shoulders, then lifted his head. "This is payback," he informed her.

"Excuse me?" she asked in confusion.

"The way I see it…you owe me a Christmas present."

She frowned in bewilderment. "But…I gave you a Christmas present," she reminded him. "The picture…ring a bell?" she asked dryly.

Hotch feigned innocence. "The picture? But according to Strauss—

She silenced him with a kiss and then laughed when he pulled away; she let her head fall back on the soft pillows.

"Seeing as that's now property of the Behavioral Analysis Unit, I'll just have to find another gift," he decided. "I wonder…is it right here?" He stiffened his tongue and lowered his head to her breast, lapping roughly over one of her taut nipples. She lifted her back up off the bed in anticipation, but after another lick, he pulled away with a heavy sigh. "No," he said, pretending disappointment.

He traced a path down to her belly button with his tongue and it darted quickly in and out. "Not there either," he informed her, as he moved lower, grinning as her breathing became more shallow.

"Aaron Hotchner," she said breathlessly. "You are _such_ a tease."

He chuckled as he placed soft kisses along the insides of her thighs, until finally his fingers parted her, and his tongue swirled skillfully around her core. Her hips bucked up off the mattress; he loved that she was so responsive. There was never a doubt as to what Emily Prentiss liked in the bedroom. "Damn," he said as he lifted his head. "It's not there, either. Where…in the hell…could it be?" he asked softly, as he dragged his body up over hers until their eyes met. Hers were dark blue and churning with anticipation as he poised himself at her entrance. With a single thrust of his hips, he'd filled her and her arms wrapped tightly around his shoulders, molding their upper bodies together. "Ahhh…here it is," he said in a strained voice as her body stretched perfectly to accommodate his. He leaned down and placed a tender kiss on her shoulder. "It's so…warm," His lips moved to her throat. "And wet." Then her other shoulder. "And so tight."

"Don't move," she begged. "Stay like _this_."

He bent his arms so that his body sunk into hers, and he heard her sigh in relief. Two days without seeing him had been far too long. "You feel so good," she breathed. She could feel him throbbing inside of her and knew it wasn't going to take much to send her over the edge.

"So do you," he returned.

After a moment, she loosened her hold on him and gave his shoulder a nudge. He straightened his upper body again and looked down at her questioningly. She shook her head. "This isn't your present," she told him. Reaching for his wrist, she guided his hand to the area just above her left breast to where her heart was. "_This_ is your present." She'd never been so honest with him, and he didn't think she'd ever make him happier than he was in that moment. Until her next words. "I love you," she said determinedly.

"Oh, God, Emily…" He pushed himself up on one arm, and started moving inside of her, his strokes long and leisurely. He wanted this to be perfect for her…to take his time, but after her declaration he could barely control himself. And when her hips fused with his, it was his undoing. His body increased it's tempo until he was moving swiftly in and out of her; she met him thrust for thrust, her hips soaring up off the mattress to take him. Emily groaned in pleasure, and when he lowered his lips to her neck, suckling gently, she moaned his name. He felt her entire body shudder around his…and exploded inside of her.

* * *

After a few minutes, he moved up onto his side and studied Emily's face. Her lashes were resting on her cheeks, and her lips were parted just a bit; he could hear her breathing. He took it as a compliment that she was still struggling for breath. When she felt his stare, her eyes flew open.

"Like what you see?" she teased.

His lips twitched. "That was the best…non-Christmas present I've ever received" he informed her.

Her eyes danced with delight as he lowered his head to the area above her heart and graced it with a soft kiss. "But this…" That was all he said before kissing the spot again. "Is forever mine." He lifted his eyes to hers, his expression tender and determined at the same time. "I love you, too, Emily."

And it was then he decided that he'd be ringing in the New Year with a proposal he was certain would make _both _of them happy.

***THE END***


End file.
